Originally Posted by MossJenks

This thread should probably be in a different forum since it's not 5th Gen specific.

Pretty hard to compare these two as it's hard for two cameras to be more different from each other.

First terminology: the A5100 is not a DSLR. It's a "mirrorless" camera. It's significantly heavier than the go pro but has an image sensor (APS-C) that is many times the size of the GoPro's sensor. This will give better image quality in low light, but also in low light it will have a much shallower depth of field which can be a problem unless you're specifically looking for shallow depth of field effects. The A5100 will be a MUCH better still camera than the GoPro, but GoPro's do produce excellent video results. The A5100 can get good video as well, but is limited to 30 minutes of recording time per segment.

The GoPro will do 4K video at 60 or 120 frames per second and 1080P at 240 fps for doing slow-mo work. The best the A5100 will do is 1080P at 60fps. No 4K.

Probably the biggest difference will be in ease of use. A GoPro has very few options and is REALLY good if you're looking to just hit the record button and forget about it. OTOH the A5100 gives you about a million options and generally will require more fiddling for satisfactory results.

Do you have any interest in using the camera as a helmet cam or a body mount cam? For that the GoPro is what you want.

If you get the A5100 make sure you get a lens with built-in stabilization or the video from your trcuk will be shaky.

So what do you want to get? Are you looking to take up photography as a hobby with an interchangeable lens still camera that also does video? Or do you just want a simple recording device to put on the dash?

I have both - well, not an A5100 but a couple of Panasonic m43 mirrorless cameras that are similar as well as a bunch of lenses. Photography has been a long time hobby of mine and I really like to use all of the creative controls available. Using these I can produce serious pro results but it takes a fair amount of paying attention. For skiing, the beach, etc. I have a GoPro that's brilliant. I just choose the recording mode (I usually just shoot 1080P at 60FPS) and hit the red button and get great results. The GoPro is also nearly indestructible and with the optional housing basically is. I can drop it, submerse it, get it super sandy, get it super snowy, whatever. It once got stripped right off my helmet by a branch while skiing the trees and sat in the snow for two weeks until a friend of mine miraculously came across it one day. It wasn't hurt at all! My m43's won't do any of that. Dropping it will certainly kill it, getting it sandy might. Getting water in the wrong place can kill it and submerging it certainly will.